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2013.07.11 - YAL
Flashback. June 30th. Metropolis University. Members of the Legion and the Young Allies tusseled with villains they've been encountering over the whole month. Sent to 'rescue' a cyborg by a pair of cute co-eds, Kent Shakespeare of the Legion encountered Tharok and was knocked though a wall. This would not have been a problem except for the eminations of a green glowing rock nobody noticed at the time. Because of this, when he slammed his head on the floor he was knocked out and received a consuccion like any human surviving a hit by Tharok would. He was taken back to HQ by his teammates after the fight and recovered quickly after leaving the eminations of the rock which wasn't seen by his teammates when they carried him off. Will Kent figure out what happened... tune in and see as flashback scenes explore the intervening time. Three super villains, one who fought the Young Allies before, and two who fought various versions of The Legion attacked the lab building at Metropolis University. Various members of The Young Allies and Legion of Super-Heroes responded. During the fight Kent Shakespeare was apparently KOed by a glowing rock that no one could find afterward, and a fourth super-villain was revealed... A few days later, other members of The Legion and Axiom of The Young Allies met and decided to exchange information, as well as to enact a plan to possibly track these villains. It turned out that the robotics lab, as well as the lab that Kent crashed into were being used by a pair of scientists. A pair of brothers. While one brother only worked on campus, the other, an 'Astrogeologist' that specializes in the remains of meteorites has a second lab. Off of campus. One that members of either, or both teams may have been able to find out about. But whether or not this is a germain fact to the attack is meaningless. All that is known is that the super-villains who attacked that lab were looking for /SOMETHING/. But what ever they were looking for, they may not have found it. At least not yet. Because a plume of smoke up and rises over a section of Upper Metropolis, at least for a moment or two. All while an alarm goes off as what from the outside looks like a normal residential apartment building. But looks can be deceiving, can't they? After all, this building for some reason shares the address with that 'off campus lab'. Worse, as that smoke appears to disperse, a handful of forms can be seen. One is the /HUGE/ Form of Validus, standing near the hole he just created in the side of the building, and standing next to him is the cyborg known as Tharok. The other forms though can't be seen as easily. not as they rush /into/ the building proper. Swinging across the New York/Metropolis area the red eyes of Scarlet Spider burn through the night. Although the red from his costume isn't as eye catching as the smoke forming in the sky, "What do we have here?!" The words are to no one in particular and he starts to change direction. Thwps cut through the air as he makes his way through. A nagging feeling burns in his gut and he opens a com channel, "Any Allies feeling feisty we may have a fire situation with some people that could use a costumed hand." He rattles off an approximate address to the area, which is more like a perimeter area. "Oh yeah and with any fire make sure you don't become a roman candle out there. Fire proof gear if you got it, head gear if you don't want to lose your hair, Spider out." Hopefully someone would be on the horn tonight. Going toward the smoke Scarlet just keeps himself ready for anything. New Legionnaires get all the perks. And by perks, meaning the bits of patient work within the boundaries of the law of the segment of space-time they're in. Namely, Boring As Sprock. Across the way, there is a young man in green and black looking into a small scrying portal at the building across the way. He can see the building normally from where he's standing, but this lets Xao Jin, Dragonmage, zoom in on details if he sees something amiss. "So," he muses. "I know enough that this 'Stakeout' does not vave anything to do with actual stakes, but where does the word come from?" Kent Shakespeare is on monitor duty at Legion Headquarters and sees an alert about the plume of smoke. When Validus' impressive form becommes visible on the display he rushes for a transport tube to the roof and launches into the sky. On his way out of the base he speaks into the flight ring comm system. "Validus... and likely the other fatals... are active in Upper Metropolis again. I'm on the way there, some backup is going to be helpful." He flies in the direction as quickly as the ring will allow mentally preparing to face Tharok and the giant Validus and their companions again. One nice thing about being Kryptonian, one doesn't need to be watching a place to respond quickly. Zenith, a.k.a. Lor-Zod, is a few blocks away physically returning a stolen car to its owner when he hears the alarm. In moments, he's flying towards the scene at just below the speed of sound (so as not shatter any windows on the way). The Spider's com buzzes soon after the request for assistance. "Trauma here. I'm a block or two away, be there in five or less." And if he's not? The heroics are free. The dark-haired courier duks into an alleyway momentarily to tuck the cardboard tube behind a dumpster, and then he's hoofing his way towards the address specified. One bonus of his kind of work? He knows all the shortcuts. All of them. So much for a nice quiet stakeout. Atom Girl had been living up to her name, sitting on a ledge across from the lab, all of three inches high and quite unnoticeable. Salu groans to herself as the coms light up. Do these people even know about espionage? Now they'll know they were watching and...well, it's Valdius. Maybe that's an exception. Atom Girl lingers and waits, assessing the situation rather than rushing in. "I'm almost in position," Xavin assures her red-garbed teammate. The phone is cradled tightly against her ear as she cuts invisibly down a familiar alley. "I was--" A FEW MINUTES AGO "--money down! No payments for thirty-six months! You can't afford /not/ to give one of our 2014 models a test drive!" an exuberant salesman exclaims over a car dealership's speakers. The system is so powerful that his voice carries out to the sidewalk in front of the establishment, and to help draw attention to the garish banners and streamers celebrating the 'Post-4th of July Sale', Xavin is stretched out to about eight feet tall and doing her best impression of an inflatable tubewoman. NOW "--doing reconnaisance." Beat. "Because I--well, it doesn't /matter/ why--" The Skrull suddenly finds herself at a loss for words when she emerges on the other side of the alley, only to be greeted by the gigantic, lightning-crowned figure of Validus a couple blocks down the street. "Gods," she murmurs with a mix of fear and wonder as the lower half of her body is wreathed in flame, "can you imagine how that monster's head would look on our wall?" Between the people here staking things out, like Xao Jin and Atom Girl, people monitoring the city like Kent, people passing by like Scarlet Spider and Zenith, the word does get out fairly quickly between the members of both teams. Which is good. Very, very good. Unfortunately the reactions of the villains on scene aren't as good. At least not in regards to 'The Heroes'. Sure some things like the smoke hide Tharok and Validus from noticing some things, like The Scarlet Spider wall crawling, or the people who have been staking out the lab. Others though aren't as lucky. Because anyone who flies in, and flies too close will have to deal with /LIGHTNING/ as Validus starts to fire off blasts like mad. In fact it's almost as if he's trying to strike anything and everything that may be approaching from the air. Tharok on the other hand smiles, while keeping his eyes peeled for anyone approaching on the ground. Inside the building, a small group works its way down a hallway. That is until they reach a door. A very specific door. "Let me at it." The Persauder says as she brings her atomic axe back, and then down /onto/ and through the door in question. Getting closer to see that this is indeed not a fire but something else entirely Scarlet chimes over the radio, "New plan. Explosion has a cause. Make sure you're limber," then he latches onto a building nearby. The smoke conceals him a little and he notices people, strange looking people even for villains, I mean you could see the brain of one of them, trying to get through a door. Doing what any not so sane and rational person would do he starts to talk, "Don't you know smoking is bad for your health?!" a hand gestures to the smoke the break in is causing, "All this smoke has gotta be doing some damage to your lungs and your umm," he points to Validus's brain, "Being all hidden behind glass like that. I can only imagine what second hand smoke does to that thing. Now let's be like good little villains an give up and make my night easy," a smile is behind his mask as he leaps toward another building knowing that isn't going to happen. Hopefully one of the Allies would appreciate the Spider-Distraction when they arrive. There's a brief moment of startlement as Jin stares at his ring. He's not used to it, even now. Ths scrying disk wings out, and the mystic gives himself a rueful smile. "This is Dragonmage," he says over the Legion Comm. "I am already on site. There are others here, possibly from the Allies you mentioned in your report." He lifts into the air, his hands waving as he wrestles the mystic energies he has access so under control. "Staying back, laying some distraction to buy you some time." He whispers a few more words, and small, bridge flashes erupt in the area the Five are standing in. Not enough to burn, but a little visual dazzle might slow them down. "Very good," Kent says in response to Xao Jin's comments as he dodges lightning. He settles down to the ground a few dozen or so yards away from where the cyborg and the giant stand. As his feet touch the ground he takes a combat stance and prepares for the anticipated confrontration. Reacting just barely in time, Zenith twists in the air as he dodges on lightning bolt, then fly higher than the air as he dodges more. He doesn't venture far, however, following Kent to the ground, greeting him with, "Hi," but ready to fly again if more lightning bolts come their way. Trauma arrives about four minutes from the initial call back to the Scarlet Spider, and he's arriving by land himself -- wearing all black as usual for the street clothes super hero, but the odds are that Tharok will get to make the first move as the dark haired teen doesn't know what, or more accurately /who/ he's looking for. So the moment finds him on the defensive more than the offensive. Atom Girl zooms off her ledge, with all the obviousness of a mosquito going out for a midnight mating flight. Salu picks her way through the frackas that's developing, towards the inside of the lab. Ah-hah. Apparently some others understand the proper use of cover and distraction. Well, nothing quite like a nice surprise, is there? Salu speeds up, faster and faster, whipping through the hall and then growing, back up to full size just as she slams into Persuader's back. Atom Girl uses her momentum and flips around, aiming at the theft crew with her pistols and a more than amused look on her face. Xavin, of course, just /had/ to go by air; what was meant to be a quick flyover and perhaps strafing run has quickly devolved into a desperate dance as the Super-Skrull(in training) tries her damndest to weave between the lightning. Elegantly curved trails of fire linger in her wake for a few brief moments before being sliced apart by lightning or flickering out on their own. She tries, once or twice, to line up a clear shot at the monster's sparking brain, but each time she pulls her arm back and tries to pick her target through the maelstrom, she's quickly forced to tuck her limbs in and roll away from a debillitating bolt. Maybe between she and the Spider, the electric titan will be too preoccupied to turn its attentions on the /other/ young heroes on deck; all she has to do is avoid twisting the wrong way and getting lit up like a holiday tree. Whether or not it might kill her, she isn't sure, but at least some of the fear she feels at that uncertainty is tempered by how unbelievably badass death by cranial lightning would /be/; for a born and bred warrior, it's hard to ask for much better than that. On the outside of the building, Tharok and Validus are 'standing guard'. Sort of. And yet as The Scarlet Spider makes his quip, the lightning shooting giant actually starts to turn, and even swing an over sized hand at the spider... Only before he can connect, those flashes of light from Dragonmage happen and the hand goes wide, slamming into the side of the building instead. On the other hand as that happens, large, and random bolts of mental lightning go flying every which way, including towards Xavin. Thus it doesn't matter if people are flying, or on the ground, they have a good chance of being struck if they're outside the building! On the other hand, as Zenith and Kent approach the building, Tharok... Smiles? For some reason Dragonmages flashes don't effect him as much as his partner on the outside. Not even as he up and rushes towards the pair of 'Kryptonians'. Only as he does, be brings his fist back. "Interesting. My cybernetics half thinks it can take you both on." Of course with Tharok and Validus occupied, some people, like Trauma may be able to slip inside. Meanwhile, inside, the Persuader manages to get that door cut open right before Atom Girl slams right into her. The the weilder of the Atomic Axe is sent flying into the room she was just trying to get into. But as was said, Persauder is not alone. For there are two others with her. And one all but leaps at Salu, lashing out with a complex series of martial arts moves that are all her own. For the moment though, none of the blows that the shrinking girl may throw at the redhead strike home. But at the same time, it's almost as if Empress isn't trying to launch any blows that could hurt Salu either. Instead it's almost as if she's trying to match and block every move, move for move. Of course while that happens, Persuader starts to climb back up onto her feet, while a /THIRD/ form, one that is cloaked in shadows tries to move around Salu so he (she? it?) can get into that room. There is one thing that can be seen about who ever that third person is. They appear to have a very large, round head. And what about the room in question inside the building? To be honest, there's an almost eerie glow coming from /something/ inside the room. Trying to dodge a big guy and the lightning bolts makes Scarlet thank god for all the days he did cardio at the Baxter Building. Bolt after bolt is dodge before he huffs. Breathing hard he launches himself toward the big guy with the exposed brain. "They make them extra ugly where you come from!" he says and smile is heard under his mask. Sometimes a hero just likes to fight and Scarlet is one of those heroes. Both feet will hopefully go into the big guy's chest and then Scarlet could push off avoiding any potential counter attack. If the big guy is too quick well, thank god the suit is durable. There's a part of him that wants to rush right in. Then, the part of him that spent a good eight years dealing with the consequences of rushing in stops Dragonmage from being hasty. Even if he can defend himself physically, he knows if he went hand-to-hand with Valudis it would end badly. He uses his flight ring to keep aloft in the air. He risks a mystic blast or two from long range to keep the monster's attention, but a few illusory solid-color Oriental-style dragons also circle Validus' head, hoping to draw its fire. Seeing Tharok's gaze pass by Lor-Zod as well, Kent Shakespeare nods to the young man as he runs toward the cyborg. As he approaches he takes a mighty swing towards his chosen opponent, trying to add his forward momentum into the swing so as to send Tharok sprawling. At the same time, however, as he is aware of his proximity to the giant as well, he maintains his wariness against attacks from that direction. Zenith shakes his head, "You might want to recalculate." He rushes forward at the same time Kent does. While Kent attacks high, he goes low, however, aiming to sweep Tharok's legs. It seems this is one time that the civilian look works in Trauma's favor. While Tharok and Validus have their hands full with the people outside, Trauma runs across the ground -- ducking and weaving in a way that spares him one hit from the mental lightning, even though it didn't seem to be aimed /at/ him specifically, anyways. Once he gets inside, his eyes scan over the scene. Four unknow-- wait, no. That's three. He /knows/ Persuader. He's /been/ Persuader. Which immediately does the math in the teen's mind as to who's on what side. "Guys, I'm in." he offers over the Allies' comm, before trying to hide somewhere out of the sight of the three villains inside, and force his mind forward. Probing. Searching for fears. As proven by the Holly Daye incident, Terrance Ward isn't as helpless as he once thought... but Trauma might just tip the scales over as long as he doesn't seize onto the wrong brain with his telepathy. "Persuader, Emerald Empress and a third are in the vault," Atom Girl finally reports out to the other legionaires. Some may not have known, probably Kent, at least. Salu lashes out with several kicks towards the Emerald Empress, finding her parrying quite effectively. It's confusing - where the heck is the eye? Not that Salu actually misses it. "When did you get so good?" she asks, and then cuts to the chase, firing a pair of blaster shots at Empress. "You here to help?" Salu asks, seeing Trauma appear on the opposite side of the group of villains from herself. The challenge of finding places to flee to that won't put civilians in danger is driving Xavin higher and higher into the sky; occasionally, she looks back to catch snatches of her trailing fire intertwined with the crackling arcs of Validus' psychic storm, which mostly serves to motivate her to keep on flying and confirm that her odds of getting off a good return shot are poor at best. Until, that is, she spies the eldritch glow of Dragonmage's enchantment amidst the electron haze; it is, she figures, as good a marker as she's going to get. "Yes--!" she hisses, cutting her speed just long enough to turn fully around and snap off a jet of superheated plasma from her fingertips. The fire spirals down to meet Validus and the dragons orbiting it, while the Skrull picks up speed to jet away from an incoming bolt just in the nick of time. If there is no Emerald Eye, is it truly The Emerald Empress? In this case, does it really matter? Because as Salu lashes out with those kicks, one does get through. In fact it connects with Empresses face, causing her lip to split and bleed as she stumbles backwards. Only as she catches herself, she also licks the blood off of her lip and smiles. Said smile though is more than a bit.... Sadistic? "Oh... You are good. Almost as good as someone else I knew. But /I'M BETTER/." is said as she launches herself forward with her hand cocked as if she's trying to punch the shrinking girl, somehow also managing to evade the blaster shots?!? Unfortunately for Terrance, as he probes, he might pick up on something. No, scratch that, two somethings. One being the woman that Salu is fighting appears /not/ to be afraid of anything. But given how crazy she acts, that might be a bit of a given. The second being that the form in the shadows, who now manages to slip into the room is somehow coming off as unreadable. Like either they aren't afraid, or like somehow they're protected. Either way, as that figure in the shadows enters that room, there's a scream. Not from said figure, but more than likely from someone else who may be in the room! Then there's Persuader. She is afraid. She has a fear. But it's a fear that causes her to turn and charge directly at Trauma as she swings her Atomic Axe. What is this fear? It's not the same as last time. Instead, it's almost as if she's afraid of Trauma himself, and what he can do! Or at least she's more afraid of him doing what he did last time, rather than being afraid of what she was last time! Outside the building, Validus is distracted by the energy dragons for a second or two, right as The Spiders feet connect. It causes him to stumble, before he falls down, onto one knee. And yet, as he does, he lashes out with possibly his strongest lightning bolt yet towards Ben! Of course as soon as that blast is fired, the plasma from Xavin strikes the giants head, prompting it to reflexively reach up and to try and block it, even if it is too late. Of course that also means that Validus stays on its knee for now and doesn't have a chance to get back up just yet. Tharok meanwhile does something odd. For somehow, despite the superhuman speed that both Zenith and Kent have, he up and twists at the last moment, managing to turn what should of been a combined finishing blow from the pair of 'kryptonians' into something more like a glancing blow. But still a blow that sends him flying backwards. "Perhaps I shall. But my cybernetics half wanted to try and use what it learned from Batman. Besides, once we recover the Eye, you will not be able to stop us." is said as the cyborg slowly gets up, and... Brushes himself off while just smiling at Zenith and Kent?!? Imra/Emits, Scarlet Spider, Xao Jin, Kent Shakespear, Lor-Zod, Trauma, Atom "I connected!" Scarlet thinks to himself and as he is about to push off then the spider-sense go off. Seeing the blast gather and leave Validus's fist causes the hero to shift his body. The bolt still him but it won't fry his face. All of the Red starts to flicker on and off as the electricity is shorting out the circuits to the high tech suit. It's not that the suit isn't electrical proof because it is. However, Reed never tested the thing out by taking an energy bolt that powerful. Falling to one knee Scarlet is desperate to get the suit back online. "Crap!" Scarlet cries out feeling some added weight of the costume but not too much. Out of desperation he claws at his mask then tears it off to reveal a second mask underneath. Red sewn-on Spider eyes atop of a black mask look out. Before long the hero is frantically tearing away at the costume to reveal the red and black number he had on underneath. Sure the old thing would provide far less protection, but it was and would always be like an old friend. Everyone has that one piece of clothing they can't live without: a ratty shirt, a pair of shoes that are held together by duct tape, some article compared to everything else is so inferior. Yet the things are so comfy people couldn't stand to part. "THAT WAS MY FAVORITE COSTUME!" he yells then "Thunks!" fill the air. Three orbs fly toward the Valdius and when they connect there would be quite a surprise. When they connect an entire canister of webbing would cocoon their target. Impact webbing is a really wonderful thing. Scarlet figures if there's enough webbing encasing the big guy he wouldn't be able to do the shock routine without hitting only himself. "The Eye? Wonderful." Kent's opinion on the proposed plan is clear. Then he addresses Zenith: "Hey kid, want to try again?" As he asks the young Kryptonian he jumps into the air. Interlacing his fingers as he swings his arms upward and then down again in a hammer fist attack he tries to connect a full force blow directly on top of Tharok's head hoping that the kid follows suit and goes for another low blow on their shared opponent. Zenith blinks, "What Eye?" His curiosity doesn't hold him back, however. He nods quickly to Kent and immediately flies forward again, again coming in low, but quickly switching flight paths to try to make it harder to dodge. "Yes!" is the only word called out by Trauma in response to Atom Girl's question, as he tries to focus. There's three very new sensations going through his head. He's never met the fearless, so the very foreign thoughts coming from inside the woman's head confuse the teen. Usually there's /something/ that makes sense to him. The second is strange because it doesn't seem like there's anything there. It's almost like as if he was trying to reach out to the space depicted on the other side of a mirror -- but stopped by the glass itself. There should be something there, but there /isn't/. That's a disturbing sensation in and of itself. The third thing he feels, though? That's strange because the fear is always something /else./ It's something out of people's nightmares. In this case, the changes occur much quicker for Terrance Ward. The color fades from his skin, his ears elongate into a point, his eyes - rather than going all white as usual turn into glowing orange pools. Fingers sharpen, clothing becomes tattered. It's now more than ever that the half-demon starts to resemble his true parentage. "I know what you fe-" That would be the sound of Trauma's traditional line stopping in mid statement thanks to a certain Axe cleaving into him. Terry might've tried to dodge, but Terry was in the back seat now, screaming at his other half. Trauma just /grins/ at Persuader with teeth that shouldn't be that shiny as inky black blood starts to pour from his chest. "Do you really think it's that easy, little girl? Swing your blade and make the boogeyman go away? No... there will be no dreams for you tonight." With that statement made, Trauma lunges forward recklessly, clawed hands trying to gash wherever they can. "TONIGHT YOU FACE FEAR ITSELF!" ...and fear itself is going to need a hospital rather badly once he's back to normal. Imra/Emits, Scarlet Spider, Xao Jin, Kent Shakespear, Lor-Zod, Trauma, Atom Girl, Xavin The metaphysics of nomenclature isn't something Salu concerns herself with. Emerald or not, it's definitely the Empress, and she's definitely dangerous. "Any time!" Salu informs Trauma, as her blasts whizz past Empress. "No zizzing way!" she curses. She's an good fighter and a damn good shot, and the likes of the Emerald (?) Empress shouldn't be able to dodge her like that, at least not where she's from. As her punch comes towards Salu, she shrinks away, disappearing into nothing for a few moments. At her microscopic size Salu zooms along, flying behind and then resizing herself, so as to slam into the Empress' legs, while taking another pair of shots at her. "Yes--" Xavin begins to repeat before doing a quick check over her shoulder just to be /sure/ she connected. She can /barely/ make out her fire flickering at the heart of those glowing dragons. "--ye--" Xavin's glee is interrupted by shattering glass when her inertia inadvertantly carries her into a (thankfully unoccupied) high rise office. The landing isn't too rough on /her/, but some poor executive is going to be in for lots of long weekends and one hell of a redecorating bill; the Skrull leaves a scorch marks and cinders behind when she jets back onto the battlefield. After fishing a bluetooth earpiece from a pocket in her uniform, she exclaims, "I'm on my way back in!" to any teammates who are still on the line. "What's your status? I--" There's a pause when she registers webbing cocooning Validus, and then she throttles her speed back a bit. "--will need another angle." With that, she twists into a flaming dive, splaying her limbs out as she descends upon the monster; about halfway down, though, those flames begin burning out as the Skrull's body begins to expand, gradually becoming less humanoid and more of a thin sheet of purple, black and brown. If she makes it all the way down to the cocooned Validus, she'll let her flattened form drape over the polymer prison so that she can constrict herself around it and perhaps provide a second line of defense against its escape. If Val /isn't/ still cocooned, of course, things might get complicated; she's banking on her presently rubber-like form to insulate her from his electricity, but it's a gamble; precious few of his training drills touched on the proper protocols for handling mental lightning. Is Validus cocooned by The Scarlet Spider? Yes. But how long that will last for is anyones guess. And yet, even as Xavin drapes herself around the fallen giant, the webbing is already strained to the point where it looks and sounds like it's starting to snap due to the raw strength the giant has. And that's still before it also starts to lash out with lightning, firing it off at everything and anything, including itself and the webbing, just to be free! To be honest, the organic half of Tharok /shouldn't/ be able to withstand the punch of a kyptonian, or someone with that kind of strength. Nor should any of the organic parts of the cyborgs body. Which is probably why he suddenly spins, so that Kents punch misses (just barely), before his robotic arm is struck by Zenith. Worse, the arm is struck with such force that it's knocked off and sent flying! And yes as said arm crashes to the ground, something odd happens, in that it is enveloped by an energy for a moment and vanishes. Inside the building, fear is unleashed... And The Persuader cries out in terror again as she yanks her axe back, as that black blood is revealed. That is before she turns, and starts to run, towards, and into the room that she cut her way into earlier. A room that is still bathed in that eerie green glow... Empress on the other hand lets out a surprise cry of pain as her leg is struck and she falls for a moment. But as she falls, she falls backwards, landing in a roll that lets her use the momentum from both of Salus kicks as they strike, to carry her into the room Persuader just retreated into... And in said room? A man in a lab coat cowers in fear as that shadowy form from earlier raises a hand as if to strike him. "Where is the eye?!? I know you recovered it! I know it all but fell into your lap, on your farm upstate! Give it to us, and you may live..." Then the shadowy figure reaches over for a lead cylinder, and as he touches, it is as if the metal itself melts, turns into vapor, and possibly is even partially turned into energy as the glowing green kryptonite inside the container is revealed. "Or else this is your fate..." is said as the green energy reveals the shadow persons head is not huge, but instead it's a pure white fish bowl like dome over their head. A dome most commonly associated with the fifth member of The Fatal Five... Mano! Seeing the cacoon breaking and Xavin's impressive display of ingenuity Scarlet tries to think of what would be a way to Validus down. He checks in via the Young Allies com, "Trauma. What's your situation? I've got a lightning shooting lummox that has a nice big exposed brain. Easy for the picking," he wished the plan would have been thought of sooner. Thinking again, "Belay that Trauma. If you're on scene stay on your target. Xavin. Follow my lead! Bring Brainy with you." Suddenly Scarlet starts webbing upward like life depending on it. If people didn't know any better it would look like he is running from the battle. Scarlet frantically looks over the rooftops once he makes it to the top of the building. He's swinging and leaping into the air. Then a sight causes a grin to tug at both corners of his mouth under the mask. Worried about a fire makes any hero look for external sources of water just in case. Heroes can do strange things so that water tower could be dosed on someone with strength and say the roof pool could be controlled by a hyrdrokinetic. Still, the roof pool would have a purpose, "Big guy looks a little hot, don't you think? Dunk him in." The second Validus would hit the water Scarlet is going to coat the pool with webbing. This would force the big oaf to mix water and electricity as desperation would cause him to bash, swip, claw, and shock his way out of the new watery prison. OR at least Scarlet hopes. Having missed with his double fisted hammer punch, Kent follows though by grabbing Tharok by the collar of his outfit with one hand and the gaping hole at his artificial shoulder where split wires sparkle and snap. As the cyborg struggles to break out of his grasp the super man of the future lifts his opponent over his head and throws him into the newly webbed up pool hoping that Tharok will end up gummed in the mess along with his gigantic 'teammate'. Lor-Zod hovers near Kent a moment more, to make sure Tharok doesn't escape Kent's throw. Only once he's sure Tharok is down, he flies over to the spot that the arm vanished, examining the area quickly before asking Kent, "What's 'The Eye' they're after?" "Trauma isn't... here right now.... leave your message after the beep." is the message relayed from Terry's other half in a positively demanic tone. Even still, there's some pain in his voice as Persuader retreats. About the only thing that's keeping the monstrous teen going right now is fear and adrenaline; specifically Persuader's fear and his own adrenaline. Of interesting note -- if there weren't a battle going on right now and people could easily notice -- is that Trauma's 'blood', while leaving his 'body' isn't actually dripping to the ground. No, each molecule is clinging to his form as it rolls along his form. However, despite his assurance that he's checked out, staying on target is exactly what he has in mind. Charging after Persuader and the others -- but mainly the former -- to try and find purchase with those clawed fingers. "Don't run, little girl! It's time to plaaaay... o/~" Trauma sing-songs. Sorry, Atom Girl. Terry would help more if he could. The other guy's busy establishing the monster under the bed. Salu tucks and rolls, following Empress into the next room, coming out of her dive with a smooth motion that puts her up on her knee, blaster in hand and. "Sprok off!" Salu cries at the shadow form. And then she realizes it's Mano. For just a moment Salu's blood runs cold, and she responds by doing what she usually does - she shoots. Two blaster bolts get snapped off towards that horrible fishbowl head. "I like your style!" she shoots to Trauma, as he goes after Persuader. "Leave the nerd alone," she adds, whipping up into the air to go after Manos. Binding Validus bodily is all well and good for restraining the beast, but Xavin hasn't the strength to drag it around against its will, and she has no way of giving herself the propulsion necessary to just tow it. And then there's the tantrum itself to contend with; the fists aren't so bad - those mostly just distend her presently gum-like body and leave huge, knuckle-shaped imprints behind - but the electricity is a different story. The first bolt that breaches the cocoon leaves what will later be a weirdly discontiguous burn along her body; her grip slackens somewhat initially, and when she shakes off her disorientation enough to flow around the next bolt that comes for her, her hold is further weakened by the need to untangle parts of herself from him. She's just about to report that she /can't/ bring 'Brainy' with her when she looks up and sees where the wall-crawler wants her to follow to. /That/, she might be able to manage; all she'll need is a little help. After a few tense seconds filled with detangling and narrowly avoided lightning bolts, the Skrull finally manages to fling one, then both ribbon-like arms up to grab the edge of the roof. Her legs and the rest of the lower third or so of her body is looped around Validus; the rest is stretched up along the side of the building. "Spider, a hand," she wheezes when her head finally pops up above the edge of the roof, Rather than speak any further, she just holds out a hand for him to take, turns her eyes downwards to the thrashing giant for a long moment, then reaffixes them to her teammate and hopes that he knows what to do from there. Inside the building... The Persuader is too busy trying to stay away from Terry. She's angry. She wants to fight. But she knows that right now, she can't win. Thus as she's grabbed she shouts, "Mano! You brought me onto the team! Get us out of here!" Empress meanwhile does a kipup back onto her feat, right in time to see Salu trying to take a shot at Mano. Thus she tries to lash out with a kick to knock the blaster away, or if that doesn't work, to at least make the shot a clean miss. The shot itself, if the kick connects or not is a miss. All though that's in part because Mano hears what Atom Girl says, instantly drops the scientist, and dives for cover. As he does so, he pulls out a small device. One where he presses a button, and he, Persuader, and Empress all vanish in a flash of light. Outside... Unfortunately for Validus, he is hefted up, even if it does take a massive amount of effort from Ben and Xavin. Then Tharok is throw into the mix as well, causing the cyborg to be stuck to the webbing. And yet, as they're /both/ thrown towards a pool, something odd happens. That being that both the giant and the cyborg /vanish/ right as they /should/ make contact with the water. It's as if they're there one moment, and the next, they're simply gone in a flash of light. Meanwhile, back inside... If anyone were to look at the scientist now, they'd find out that things aren't so good for him. For as he was thrown to the ground he smacked his head. And its bleeding. A lot. And yet, as he stares at Salu and 'The Bogeyman', he manages to get out a few more words... "The bees... The eye is under the bees..." Before going unconscious. Getting ready for the splash and the fireworks Scarlet looks with glee as Validus has company then, gone. Both of them just gone, he looks at Xavin, "You umm, porter, magic, or tech?" he asks. Any one of those methods is a viable sudden escape. Going to the alien he offers a hand, and a shoulder if it's needed, "You did good." A second later he says over the com, "Any Allies out here you did good. Did everyone else's targets just do their best Transporter impression?" He knows they probably did. A group shows up together, strikes together, it only makes sense that they leave together. And that probably means there's a fifth beetle, a hidden player, working their magic in this game. The question is who and why. "The Emerald Eye of Ekron," Kent says to Lor. "Its one of the most powerful weapons to ever exist in the universe. We have files on it and those who've used it back at HQ if you want to parouse them sometime kid." Then there is a chirping from one of his pocket and he checks his phone to see a message on it. He says, "Legionnaires, looks like its just mopup here and they need me at the clinic. If you need me I can return," into the flight ring comm system and then, speaking to Lor again, "My name's Kent Shakespeare. Nice fighting at your side." He then takes to the air and starts flying towards Hell's Kitchen. Empress and Manos both disappear in short order, and while neither have nice engrgy bolts sized holes in them, Manos /did/ drop the scientist, just like Atom Girl told him to. With an edgy look, Salu moves close to him and says, "They're looking for the Eye? Great. You have a lot to tell us. Come on," Salu says. She flips onto the Legion comms. "Definitely looking for the Eye," she reports. "Manos caught one of the nerds, bringing him out for questions." Lor-Zod waves to Kent as he flies off, and then flies up to hover by where Scarlet Spider is. "Yeah, I think they all left. That's the way it sounds." Remember how it was mentioned that Trauma was running on fear and adrenaline alone? Well, the source of that fear has just gone 'poof', and the reason for the adrenaline /was/ the source of the fear. So the traumatic form reverts quickly to the normal human form... who collapses to the ground and starts bleeding for real from a nasty gash along his chest. Yes, hospital time for sure. "...help." is finally offered weakly over the Allies com, but nothing further. "Of course I did," Xavin weakly replies as she coils an arm around Ben's offered wrist for support. Anchored as she is to the Spider, she gradually contracts her by now grossly distended limbs, and while it'll take her a while - a fair few seconds, if not minutes - eventually, she'll end up with a markedly more humanoid form. Which is, presently, marred by whorls of burned flesh and shredded fabric(or whatever in the world Xavin's uniform is actually made of) from about her abdomen downwards; she has to lean on Ben /quite/ a bit. Rope would have /probably/ been the smarter way to bind the angry lightning giant; who'd have thought? "You did very well yourself," she quietly adds, once she no longer has to worry about getting her proportions straight. Nods then looks to Xavin, "Can you walk?" Trauma's cry for help puts Scarlet at alert. He doesn't wait for an answer then just swings off toward the building. Anything he can use to track Trauma is. When he eventually makes it to the body the first thing is done is sealing up the wound with webbing. Then, and he knows it may not be a great idea, he swings off with the guy in tow toward the Baxter building. They would have a medical facility and the thirteen H.E.R.B.I.E.s would know how to get all the medical equipment going in Reed's absence. "Hang in there," he says heading toward the city. Lor-Zod looks up at Trauma's cry for help, but he doesn't leave Xavin. He asks, looking to her, "Can you heal, or do you need a hospital, or..." Then Scarlet is taking the injured Trauma somewhere, and says, "Or, maybe they know a place. Want a lift?" Terry can't help but smile just a bit when he recognizes the Scarlet Spider's voice. He was hurt and he knew it, but that voice definitely meant that help was here. Terry's quiet -- aside from a grunt of pain when he's moved, a pained cough and a "You should've... seen the other guy..." offered once they're soaring through the air. Handing Trauma to Zenith, "Take him to the Baxer Building. I'll radio them that you're coming!" he waits for the Kryptonian to zip off then he hits something on the head piece under the mask. "Cel. This is Scarlet. I'm authorizing clearance for entry of two non-Fantastics to use the medical facility for Emergency Treatment." He waits a second and Cel, who sounds like Peter Davison chimes back, "You're not authorized." Screaming Scarlet yells back, "As Senior member of the Fantastic Four with Reed and Sue being stuck in Asgard, Johnny out on a Date, Thing working out on Yancy Street, and Jennifer out lawyering that makes me the Senior most member of the Fantastic Four to respond. So as such I'm clearing Zenith and Trauma to enter," he rattles off a clearance code. "Trauma has a laceration across his chest but run scans for other wounds, and actual trauma. All twelve of you Doctors and any companions." Yes, Reed did make a bunch of H.E.R.B.I.E.s with voice and personalities of various doctor who characters that come equipped with the knowledge of a super computer. On the plus side Trauma would be treated without questions by twelve or more very capbale doctors that would be amusing to watch when he wakes. Switching back he chimes in over the allies com, "You'll get clearance. Let the weird robots take him. Follow Trauma til I get there." Lor-Zod pauses as Scarlet approaches, and takes Trauma carefully. He nods quickly then and says, "Got it." Flying as fast as he can without hurting Trauma more from friction or g-forces, he carries Trauma to the building and lets the robots take care of him. He does stick close by, but he radios back, "We're here. What about Xavin? She was hurt too." Trauma coughs again as Lor-Zod takes over, nodding up to the Kryptonian, "...Thanks." is offered, before it's lights out for one Terrance Ward. The good news is, of course, that he's out of harm's way and about to be into capable medical hands, now. He nods to the Kryptonian, "When the Doctors have her situation then retrieve Xavin. She's more exhausted," he says firmly over the calm and double times to the Baxter Building. Hopefully Reed would have skrull body structure on file. Lor-Zod says, "Got it." He explains to the doctors Xavin's species and condition, as Scarlet requested, and then flies out fast to retreive her and carry her back. Category:Log